Back in town
by Skovko
Summary: Dean doesn't like his sister Elena's boyfriend AJ. He's sure AJ's hurting her despite her denying it. His best friend Roman is back in town. Roman and Elena used to dance around each other until Roman moved away. The friends team up to get Elena out of her relationship, and hopefully Dean can push her into Roman's arms where he feels she always belonged.
1. Black eye

"Mom?" Dean called.

He walked into his mother's house. He hadn't called beforehand but the door was unlocked so he figured she was home. He walked through the house and ended in the kitchen where a woman was filling the dishwasher. Not his mom but his sister Elena. He leaned against the door frame with a smile while watching his two year younger sister with the curly, medium brown hair.

"Hi, sis," he said.

She turned around and her blue eyes met his. He stared at her black eye in shock and pushed himself away from the door frame.

"What the hell happened?" He asked.  
"What do you mean?" She asked.  
"Your eye," he pointed. "Who hit you?"  
"Oh!" She said.

She reached a hand up to touch her eye. He could see she was thinking what answer to give and he didn't like this. Even if it was only a matter of seconds, the truth should have fallen in a heartbeat.

"I walked into a door," she said.  
"Really? You're going with that classic excuse?" He asked.

He crossed the floor and stopped right in front of her. He leaned down and stared at her eye. She was clearly uncomfortable but he needed to see it up close.

"Did AJ hit you?" He asked.  
"What? No!" She said.  
"He hits you, doesn't he?" He asked.  
"Come on, Dean, you know me better than that," she said.  
"I know you but I don't know him because the fucker won't let me come over very often," he said.  
"Don't worry about me," she said.

She patted his arm and walked out of the room. He followed behind, sighing lowly to himself. He never liked AJ from the first time he met him. He knew something was wrong with the man but his sister didn't see it back then. He was sure she saw it now but chose to hide it since she now lived together with AJ.

"So where's mom?" He asked.  
"She had a dentist appointment. She ran out five minutes before you came," she answered.  
"Guess I'll stick around and wait for her then," he said.  
"I better go home," she said.  
"Come on, spend five minutes with me. I rarely see you anymore," he said.  
"I guess I can do that," she said.

They walked into the living room and dumped down on the couch.

"Did you forget to invite me?" He asked.  
"For what?" She asked.  
"Your birthday tomorrow," he grinned. "Are you getting that old that you're forgetting your own birthday?"  
"I decided not to celebrate this year. I'm busy with the book," she said.  
"The book is done. It's being published next month. I know how it works by now," he said.  
"The next book. I'm already working on it," she said.

He could see that she was lying. He wasn't sure why. He wouldn't be surprised if she was already working on the next installment of her book series. The fans loved her books. But she was lying about something. Probably the reason why she didn't wanna celebrate her birthday. He was sure the reason was AJ. He didn't wanna dive further into it and have her running away already so he changed the subject.

"Roman's back," he said.  
"How long will he be staying?" She asked.  
"He's back for good," he answered.  
"Really?" She asked.  
"One of the leaders stepped down and he applied for the position and got it. Since it was for the shop here, he moved back," he said.

Roman had worked for a gym equipment chain since he got out of school. The job had taken him to another town a little over a year ago.

"Maybe this time you can finally get together," he said.  
"I'm with AJ," she reminded him.  
"For now," he smirked. "That can quickly change."  
"Have you asked Roman how he might feel about you trying to dictate his life?" She asked.  
"The fact that you're not even arguing with me or telling me to shut up and respect your relationship makes me know I'm on the right track. You and Roman danced around each other for as long as I remember. I'm sure you would have ended up together if he hadn't moved," he said.

A little smile tugged on her lips.

"We did actually," she said.  
"What? When?" He asked.  
"His going away party," she answered.

* * *

_Elena walked out in the garden. They were at Dean's house, having Roman's going away party. Roman had already moved out of his apartment and was spending the last few days at Dean's house. She walked through the dark garden and down to the end. She was surprised when she found someone lying on his back on the grass, staring up at the stars._

_"Roman?" She asked._  
_"Hi, Elena," he smiled. "Care to join me?"_

_She laid down next to him. For a while they just laid there side by side, staring at the night sky, until she felt his fingers interlace with hers. She turned her head to look at him. His head was already turned towards her. He was watching her with a smile._

_"I'm gonna miss you," he said._  
_"Likewise," she said._  
_"There's something I wish I had told you," he said._  
_"What is it?" She asked._

_Instead of telling her, he moved close and kissed her. He rolled over on his side, still kissing her and running his hand down her body to get it under her short dress._

* * *

"Oh my god, you banged him in my garden?" Dean laughed.  
"Like you've never had sex in your garden before," Elena said.  
"That's different. It's my garden," he said.  
"I didn't know I needed to ask permission first," she said.  
"You didn't," he grinned. "I can't believe this is the first I hear of it."  
"Roman never told you?" She asked.  
"No, he didn't," he answered.

She looked out the window. She wasn't angry that Roman had never told Dean. More surprised. Maybe even a bit hurt that she hadn't mattered enough for him to talk about her.

"Don't give me that look," he said.  
"What look?" She asked.  
"That look you always get when you think something is your fault but you can't figure out what you did wrong," he chuckled. "Of course he didn't tell me. Who wants to know that their best friend banged their sister?"

It made sense. Dean was right. It would be a mouthful to take in if Roman had casually told Dean that he had been with his little sister.

"So what happened after that?" He asked.  
"I went home, he moved away, and we haven't talked since," she answered.  
"Jesus. I'm sorry," he said.  
"Don't," she smiled. "I don't regret it. Like you said, we danced around each other forever. It was like we both knew that night that it was now or never. So it happened, and I'm glad it did. I'm not left wondering what if."  
"What if he had stayed? What if you had started dating?" He teased.  
"Don't do that," she sighed. "It was one night, and that was it. Like I said, I don't regret it. Just like I won't regret kicking you in the balls if you don't let it go."

She smirked at him, and he smirked back. It felt good sitting with her on the couch having a conversation like this again. He missed his sister. Since AJ entered her life, he didn't see her as much as he used to. Especially not since AJ convinced her to move in with him.

"So tomorrow," he said.  
"I'm still busy," she stood up. "And now I really gotta go. It was nice seeing you again. Say hello to Roman for me."


	2. Surprise party

Dean's leg was bouncing up and down. As usual he couldn't sit still for many seconds, but he was more on edge this day. It was Elena's birthday and he hadn't been able to shake the image of her black eye the day before. Seth and Roman both stared as him as his leg seemed to be going crazy.

"Did you get possessed or something?" Seth joked. "You're more on edge than usual."  
"Huh?" Dean looked up.  
"If your leg keeps bouncing like that, it'll end up falling off," Roman said.

Dean forced his leg to hold still.

"Do you regret it?" Dean looked at Roman.  
"Regret what?" Roman asked.  
"Banging my sister in my garden," Dean smirked.

Roman chuckled and smirked back.

"She finally told you?" Roman asked.  
"Yesterday," Dean answered. "I'm not mad about it."  
"No, I don't regret it," Roman said.  
"Neither does she," Dean said.  
"Wait, Roman and Elena?" Seth asked.

Seth was rather new in Dean's life. They had met when Seth was hired at the same car dealership where Dean worked. Seth had been there for eight months now, and they had a solid friendship going. It was the first time Seth and Roman met each other though. Seth had met Elena two times. At Dean's birthday and at their mother's birthday. Dean's mother really liked Seth so she had invited him for her birthday.

"I can't believe it didn't happen sooner. They were both in love with each other, but the idiots never told each other," Dean said.  
"And now?" Seth asked.  
"Now she lives with her boyfriend," Roman answered. "I'm not gonna mess that up."  
"He beats her," Dean said.  
"What?" Roman snapped.

He stared at Dean for a few seconds, wishing that Dean would laugh it off as some fucked up joke.

"Or I think he does. She had a black eye yesterday. She told me she walked into a door," Dean said. "It's not the first time I see her with bruises though. At my mom's birthday..."  
"Her arm," Seth interruped. "I remember that. It looked like someone had grabbed her way too tight. She said that... Oh, fuck!"  
"That she walked into a door," Dean sighed. "I doubt she keeps tracks of the excuses since she uses the same ones."

Roman stood up fast. Anger was written all over his face. Dean couldn't help but smirk. He knew what Roman was thinking.

"Where are you going, big man?" Dean asked.  
"I'm going to see her, damn it!" Roman growled.  
"You don't even know where she lives," Dean said.  
"You're gonna tell me!" Roman demanded.  
"I will," Dean said. "Relax. Don't you think I got a plan?"

Roman stared at Dean and then slowly put on a little smile. Of course Dean had some sort of plan. He always did. He wouldn't have started this conversation without some sort of idea.

"It's her birthday today," Dean said.  
"I know," Roman nodded. "I remember."  
"Of course you do," Dean chuckled.  
"Is she having a party?" Seth asked.  
"More like a surprise party," Dean grinned. "Although we're the only guests surprising her. She says she doesn't wanna celebrate this year. I'm not giving her a choice. I need to get her out of the house to make her see there's another world out there than the one she's stuck in. And you're gonna help me. I need you both to turn it up. Make asshole AJ jealous."

* * *

Elena hung the towel back on its place just as the doorbell rang. She had no idea who it could be. She wasn't expecting anyone even though it was her birthday. She had just taken a shower and dressed in a pair of black sweatpants and a navy blue t-shirt when someone was at the door. She walked out of the bathroom, passed AJ who was playing playstation in the living room, and walked out to open. She stared in surprise at the three men on the other side. Mostly at Roman who she hadn't seen since his going away party.

"Happy birthday," Dean said.  
"Come here, birthday girl," Roman said.

Roman pulled her into a giant hug. She hugged him back, enjoying feeling his arms around her again after all this time. He even smelled like she remembered.

"Who is it?" AJ yelled from the living room.  
"It's Dean and his friends," she said.  
"What do they want?" AJ asked.

Dean walked inside without being invited. Seth and Roman followed right behind. Elena closed the door and followed the three men into the living room.

"Styles," Dean said dryly. "I'm here to take my sister out for her birthday."  
"She's busy," AJ said.  
"With what?" Dean asked.  
"Cleaning," AJ answered.  
"You can do that. You're a big boy," Dean said.  
"Dean," Elena muttered.

Dean looked at her with a naughty smile on his face. He knew he had the upper hand in this. It was him and two other men against AJ. AJ could argue all he wanted. They weren't gonna let him make the calls tonight.

"Nice place," Roman looked around before looking at her. "But any building looks beautiful when you're placed inside it."  
"Excuse me?" AJ asked angrily.  
"Damn, girl, even in sweatpants you got a nice ass," Seth said.  
"Stop!" Elena giggled.  
"They're just having fun," Dean said.

Dean placed his arm around Elena's shoulders. AJ stood up from the couch and stared at the three men. It was clear he wanted to throw them out but he didn't dare.

"Do you still cook?" Roman asked. "I remember you were a great chef."  
"Sometimes," Elena answered.  
"Man, it's so good to see you again," Roman said. "If you were single, I'd ask you out in a heartbeat."  
"You wanna take my sister out for sushi?" Dean asked.  
"No, not sushi," Roman poked his tongue out of the corner of his mouth for a second. "Something more low key. She's not a sushi woman. I remember what you like, baby girl. I'd take you out for a pizza and a nice walk in the moonlight. That's more you."

AJ made some weird growling noises. All three men chose to ignore it.

"Come on. Let's find you something to wear. I'm taking you out for your birthday, and that's not up for discussion," Dean said.

He guided her into the bedroom before she could protest. He closed the door and started going through her closet.

"I don't believe you," she said.  
"What is he gonna do about it? I'm taking you out. End of story," he said.  
"Roman looks good," she said.  
"Yeah?" He grinned at her. "How good?"  
"I don't know," she shrugged. "Good. Healthy. Like he used to."

He pulled out a short, black skirt and a magenta tank top.

"No!" She said.  
"Yes, Elena. You're gonna be smoking hot," he grinned.  
"AJ will not stand for it," she said.  
"He's not coming," he said.  
"What? You can't be serious," she said.  
"Dead serious," he pushed the clothes into her hands. "Now change. And wear some long boots. I remember Roman saying he has a thing for women in short skirts and long boots."  
"Why are you still pushing this idea of him and I together?" She asked.  
"Why aren't you arguing against the idea?" He fired back. "Change!"

The siblings came out a few minutes later. Roman's jaw dropped at the sight of her.

"Damn, girl!" Seth whistled. "You're one sexy woman!"  
"You're going out like that?" AJ asked angrily.  
"She is," Dean grinned at AJ. "I personally picked out the outfit. Doesn't she look great?"  
"She does," Roman said. "Fucking great."  
"Okay, let's head out then," Dean pushed Elena towards the front door. "Don't wait up, Styles. I'll make sure she gets home safe."  
"I'm not invited?" AJ asked.  
"You said this place needed cleaning," Dean winked over his shoulder. "So start cleaning, little man."

Before AJ could argue further, Dean had pushed Elena out of the house. Seth and Roman followed fast, closing the door behind them.

"So where are we going?" Elena asked.  
"Roman's call," Dean looked at Roman.  
"I did promise her pizza," Roman said.  
"I thought that was for your date," Seth said.  
"I can always eat pizza twice with her," Roman said.  
"I know a great place. It's right next to a bar so we can go in there and get some drinks and shoot some pool afterwards," Dean said.

* * *

Many hours later they had left the bar and driven to the lake for a moonlight walk around it. Seth and Dean walked in front while Roman and Elena followed behind. Halfway around the lake, Dean turned his head and noticed that Roman and Elena were holding hands. He gave Seth a playful push.

"I'll race you the rest of the way," Dean said.  
"You're on," Seth said.

The two men started running. Roman chuckled and looked at Elena.

"It's good to see you again," he gave her hand a squeeze. "How have you been?"  
"Alright. My books are still selling like hot cakes so I can't complain," she said. "How about you?"  
"I've been alright too. I missed this place and the people here," he said.  
"You're back now," she said.

He stopped and turned to look at her.

"I missed you," he said.

Even in the moonlight he could see she was blushing. There was still something there after all this time. They had known each other for years. Since they were teenagers. For as long as he could remember, he had been in love with her. She was the one that got away, and he was pretty sure he was the same to her.

"I told Dean," she said. "About us hooking up that night."  
"I know. He told me earlier tonight," he said. "He asked if I regretted it."  
"Do you?" She asked. "No, wait. Don't answer that. I don't wanna know."

He took a step closer and tucked some of her curls behind her ear. Her hair was always a bit untamed with all those curls. He placed his hand on her shoulder and caressed her neck and jaw with his thumb.

"I don't have a lot of regrets in life, but those I have seem to be connected with you," he said.  
"I'm sorry," she said.  
"I regret not telling you how I felt sooner. I regret not asking you to spend the night with me afterwards. I regret not asking you if we could try a long distance relationship and maybe figure something out in the long run. I regret letting you go. I regret not contacting you while I was gone," his thumb brushed over her lips. "But I don't regret being with you."

Her eyes twinkled in the moonlight. He wanted to kiss her so badly in that moment.

"AJ," she mumbled.  
"I know," he sighed. "You moved on and that was the right thing to do, although I wish you had done it with someone who would treat you good."  
"You don't know..." She started.  
"I know," he traced her black eye. "The evidence is pretty fucking clear."

She held her breath for two seconds. He knew she was about to lie but for some reason she decided against it.

"Did you move on?" She asked.  
"I tried. I'm not gonna lie. I went on dates, and I hooked up with a few women. Only problem was that I always ended up seeing you in my mind to be able to cum. It wasn't fair to anybody. You wormed your way into my heart and never got out again," he said.  
"I'm sorry," she said.  
"I'm not," he said.  
"Guys!" Seth's voice reached them from afar. "What the hell are you doing?"  
"Shut up!" Dean snarled.

Roman and Elena both chuckled. Without another word, they started walking again to rejoin Dean and Seth on the other side of the lake.


	3. French fries

Elena woke up alone in bed Sunday morning. It had been late when she finally came home the night before, and AJ had been asleep. She had managed to tiptoe her way into bed without waking him up. She didn't wanna have a fight in the middle of the night, and she knew he would be angry at her for going out with Dean, Roman and Seth. Especially since AJ had never met Roman and Seth. Of course he would be suspicious.

She got out of bed. As soon as she was out of the bedroom, she could hear him in the kitchen. She knew she needed to face him sooner or later. She went to the bathroom to pee and brush her teeth before she walked out to join him in the kitchen. He was already dressed in a pair of grey suit jeans, a black dress shirt and a royal blue tie. It made sense that he was dressed up. He worked Sundays as a restaurant manager.

"You're awake," he said.

He stood leaned against the countertop with a cup of coffee in his hand. She looked at the wall clock and saw there was still around 15 minutes to go before he needed to leave.

"Sorry, it ran a bit late last night," she said.  
"What did you do?" He asked.  
"We went out to shoot some pool," she answered.  
"Who won?" He asked.  
"Dean. He's always been better than me," she answered.

He took a sip of his coffee, eyeing her over the cup.

"And those other two men? What were their names again?" He asked.  
"Roman and Seth," she answered.  
"Roman and Seth," he repeated. "Who was who?"  
"Roman was the tall one," she said.  
"Not that it matters," he said.

He placed the cup down on the countertop.

"Which one did you fuck?" He asked.  
"What?" She stared at him.  
"I asked which one did you fuck?" He said.

His voice was way too calm to be asking such a question. She knew him. She knew he was anything but calm.

"I didn't fuck any of them. I shot some pool with Dean. They left with some other girls while me and Dean stayed for a few more games," she said.  
"And I'm just supposed to believe you?" He asked.  
"Ask Dean. Call him right now with me standing here so you know I don't have time to ask him to lie," she said.

She was bluffing. Something she had done several times with him. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. He stared at her for a few seconds.

"Alright," he finally said. "I know exactly what's inside the fridge, and I'm expecting to find the same amount of food when I come home."

She nodded. She could take a punishment of not being allowed to eat. That was better than getting beaten. She was sure time was her only savior in that moment. 15 minutes was not enough for him to let his rage rain down on her. He always got sweaty and exhausted when he was really mad.

"I'll go take a shower," she said.

She walked out in the bathroom and closed the door. She walked over to the mirror and stared into it. She wondered how things had gotten to this point. The door suddenly flew open, and AJ came stomping out in the bathroom. She turned around and pressed herself against the sink since he was all up in her face. He placed his hands around her neck and kept staring at her for what seemed like forever. She knew better than to speak when he was in that mood.

"Tell me you love me," he said.  
"I love you," she said.  
"Good girl," he spun her around. "Now show me."

He pressed down on her neck and forced her to bend over the sink.

"AJ," she whispered.  
"Show me how much you love me!" He growled.

He pushed her panties down, and then jammed a knee in between her legs to make her spread them. She spread her legs and gripped the sink tight as she tried to steady herself for what was to come. She gritted her teeth and hissed lowly in pain when he pushed himself inside her.

"Tell me you love me!" He demanded.  
"I love you," she said.  
"Again!" He barked. "Tell me!"  
"I love you," she started crying. "I love you."

She kept saying the words over and over without meaning them. He finally held still a few minutes later. He pulled her up from the sink so he could see her in the mirror. Her face was stained with tears but he ignored it. He stroked her hair and kissed her cheek.

"I love you too," he said. "You're my girl."

All she could do was nod at those words. He stepped away from her and fixed his pants.

"I'll see you later," he said.

He walked out of the bathroom. She worked like a robot as she pulled the magenta tank top off that she had slept in. Last night Dean had made her wear it. Today it would go into the garbage. She never wanted to see that top again.

She turned on the shower and stepped into it. She stood there for a few seconds without moving. She finally leaned up against the white tiles and slowly slid down until she sat on the floor. She hugged her knees and cried while the hot water ran down her body.

* * *

The door bell rang. Elena looked at the time on the computer. It had been four hours since AJ left. He wouldn't ring the door bell either. She looked at the blank page. She had been staring at it since she got out of the shower without being able to write a word.

"Elena!" Dean shouted. "I know you're home!"

The door bell started ringing constantly. She could imagine her brother standing on the other side constantly pressing it to annoy the shit out of her. She got up and walked out to open. She was met by his grin but also the faces of Roman and Seth. Dean's grin quickly faded when he saw her sad face.

"Hey, are you alright?" Dean asked.  
"I've been better," Elena answered.  
"What happened?" Dean asked.  
"I didn't sleep well," Elena lied. "What are you doing here?"  
"Well, we drove past the restaurant," Dean started grinning again.  
"And we saw AJ at work," Seth said.  
"So you decided to come here?" Elena asked.  
"It's a beautiful day," Dean said. "Go out with us. We missed you."  
"Since last night?" Elena asked.

Dean slapped his palm into Roman's chest.

"Tell her, big man," Dean said.  
"We missed you," Roman smiled at her. "I missed you."  
"You got all day to flirt," Dean grinned at Roman. "Come on, sis. Let's go."

She wasn't gonna get any writing done today. She already knew that. She might as well turn this trashy day into something good with her brother and his friends. She looked at Roman and put on a little smile.

"I'm in if there's food involved," she said.  
"All the food you can eat," Dean promised.

He drove them to an outdoor mini golf place. She wasn't interested in playing mini golf though. She had her eyes on the fast food place connected with the mini golf place. She was hungry since she hadn't eaten anything.

"You go play. I want french fries," she said.  
"Roman, buy her some food," Dean winked. "I wanna kick Seth's ass."  
"In your dreams," Seth said.

Dean and Seth disappeared fast while Roman and Elena went to buy french fries. They found a bench where they could sit privately. He watched as she devoured the french fries and ketchup fast.

"Hungry much?" He chuckled.  
"First thing I get to eat today," she said.  
"Why? I know you weren't hungover with that one drink you had last night," he said.  
"The food in the fridge needs to be left untouched or AJ gets mad," she said. "Oh, shit!"

Her eyes widened when she realized she had just thrown it out there. He furrowed his brows as he turned those words around in his head.

"He starves you?" He asked.  
"No, it's not like that," she sighed. "Sometimes."

She couldn't lie to Roman no matter how much she wanted to.

"What else does he do?" He asked.  
"You know," she pointed at her eye. "And... Other stuff."  
"What other stuff?" He asked.

She kept quiet. A part of her wanted to tell him what had happened this morning, and another part of her never wanted to let anyone know.

"Baby girl," he said lowly.

He grabbed her hips and pulled her close so she sat up against him. He ran his fingers through her curls, studying her face as he slowly leaned down. His lips found hers. He kissed her like he had dreamed about doing ever since that night in the garden. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. For a while they sat like that until she finally broke the kiss and placed her head on his shoulder so he couldn't look at her.

"He forces me," she said lowly.  
"To do what?" He asked.  
"To have sex," she answered.  
"He rapes you?" He raised his voice.

He pulled her up from his shoulder and stared at her.

"He rapes you?" He repeated. "He asshole fucking rapes you?"  
"No, it's not like that. We're a couple. It's not like you can call it rape when we're together. It's just that sometimes I don't want to and he does it anyway," she said.  
"That is fucking rape!" He snarled.  
"Keep your voice down," she said.

She looked around to make sure no one was nearby to have heard him. It would be embarrassing, especially if Dean heard him. He grabbed her face with both hands and stared intensely at her.

"What else will you call it?" He asked.  
"I don't know," she answered.  
"If he forces you to have sex against your will, what will you call it?" He asked. "Say the fucking word, Elena!"

She blinked a few times but he kept staring at her. He wasn't gonna let it go.

"Rape," she finally whispered.

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her as tight as she could. She started crying again as he gently rocked her and let her get it out of her system.

"Please, don't tell Dean," she begged.  
"I think he needs to know," he said.  
"I don't want him to know," she said.  
"This is not healthy for you to keep inside. He needs to know. He can help you. I can help you," he said.  
"Okay," she nodded against his shoulder. "But not now. I wanna enjoy this day."  
"It's okay. I can do that," he said.

He pulled her up from his shoulder and smiled at her while brushing his thumbs over her cheeks to get her tears out of the way. He leaned in to give her a soft kiss before putting an arm around her shoulder and pulling her in to sit up against him. For a while they sat there and talked until Dean and Seth were finally done playing.

"I won!" Seth shrieked in joy. "I fucking won! Dean is a loser! Na na na na na!"  
"Dick!" Dean said. "Try your luck in pool next time. I'll smoke your ass."  
"I know. That's why I never play pool against you. I'm a smart one," Seth said.

Roman and Elena got up from the bench.

"Everything alright here?" Dean asked.  
"Yes," Roman said. "I've fed her and she's ready for her next adventure."

Seth turned around and pointed at his back.

"Hop on," he said.

She jumped up on Seth's back and he carried her towards the car. A few cars drove by out on the road. She recognized AJ's white Nissan as it drove by.

"Fuck!" She started squirming. "Put me down!"

Seth quickly put her down and turned around with a confused look.

"Did I do something wrong?" Seth asked.  
"I wanna go home," Elena said.  
"Elena," Dean said.  
"Now!" Elena raised her voice. "I wanna go home now, Dean."  
"Okay," Dean said. "We'll take you home."

* * *

Elena was nervous when she entered the house. AJ was in the living room with his playstation fired up.

"Hi," she said.  
"Sit!" He demanded.

She walked over and sat down next to him.

"You're home early," she said.  
"It wasn't busy today. Boss gave me the evening off," he said. "So Seth? The little one was Seth, right?"  
"Yes," she said.  
"And you're still not fucking him? You wanna stick to that lie?" He asked.  
"No, I..." She started.

She fell back on the couch when he backhanded her. She tasted blood in her mouth and looked at him. His eyes were hard. She kept lying there, waiting for him to say or do something.

"You don't ever leave this house without my permission again," he said calmly. "Understood?"  
"Yes," she whispered.  
"Good girl," he said.

He turned his focus back to the playstation and sighed loudly.

"You made me fucking die," he pointed at the screen. "Get out of here. I don't wanna see you the rest of the day. Go write or something. Stay out of my sight."


	4. A trip to the hospital

Elena got out of bed Monday morning. AJ was already up and in the kitchen. She went to the bathroom to pee and brush her teeth. She looked in the mirror. The black eye was slowly fading but now she had a small cut in her bottom lip instead. She sighed and washed her face before heading for the kitchen.

"Good morning," AJ said cheerfully.

His mood was completely different than the day before. She wasn't one to ask what had changed. She knew better than that. Instead she treasured a happy day because that meant she wasn't in trouble.

"Good morning," she said. "Have you eaten, or do you want me to make you something?"  
"I ate," he smiled. "But you didn't. You need to get some food in your system. It's not healthy to starve yourself."

Sometimes she wondered if he suffered from split personality. She only starved herself when he forced her to. She knew better than to question him. Instead she filled a bowl with cereal and sat down to eat. She was half way through it when her phone started ringing. He picked it up and looked at the name.

"It's Dean," he smirked. "Better pick up. It might be important."

Something was clearly off by the way AJ was acting. He handed her the phone willingly and even told her to pick up. That was unusual for him. She took the phone and pressed the green button.

"Dean?" She asked.  
"Elena, I'm in the hospital," he blurted how.  
"What? Why? What happened?" She asked.  
"I'm fine," he said. "Seth was jumped."  
"Is he okay?" She asked.  
"Someone beat him up last night," he answered.  
"Do you need me to come down there?" She asked.  
"No, I just needed to talk to someone until Roman arrives," he said. "Wait, there's Roman. I'll call you later with further details."

He hung up without saying goodbye. She lowered the phone and looked at AJ.

"What is it?" He asked.  
"Dean's friend is in the hospital," she answered.  
"You better get down there then," he said.  
"Are you sure?" She asked.  
"Yes, go be supportive," he said.

She didn't dare to ask twice and maybe get a no the second time around. Instead she left her unfinished cereal and hurried into the bedroom. She ordered an uber before getting dressed. She threw on a pair of light grey sweatpants and a black sweater. She pulled her uncombed curls up into a messy bun and hurried outside.

* * *

"Dean!" She ran into the room.

Dean looked up confused when his sister came into the hospital bed. She threw her arms around him and hugged him before turning her attention to Seth in the hospital bed. He was awake and sitting up.

"Jesus, Seth, you look like you were hit by a truck," Elena said.  
"I feel like it too," Seth said.  
"He was lucky. No broken bones or missing teeth, and no concussion," Roman said.  
"What happened?" Elena asked.  
"I was jumped by four people," Seth answered.  
"Do you know who?" Elena asked.  
"Some assholes!" Dean growled.

Roman twisted a sideways smile at that comment. They could all agree whoever had done it were assholes.

"One of them were Asian. One spoke with an Irish accent. The other two were Americans, I think," Seth said.

She swallowed hard. That sounded too familiar. The look on her face had given her away to Roman.

"Are you alright, Elena?" Roman asked.  
"I... I..." Elena stuttered.  
"Elena?" Dean asked.  
"I need to go," Elena patted Seth's hand. "Feel better soon."  
"I will. Just waiting for the doctor and then I'm going home," Seth said. "Thank you for stopping by."

She walked out of the room again. She heard footsteps behind her and turned around to see Roman.

"You know who did this, don't you?" He asked.  
"I'm not sure," she answered.  
"Is AJ behind it?" He asked.  
"He was home all night," she answered.  
"That doesn't mean he wasn't behind it," he said.  
"I don't know," she said.

He pulled her close and pressed his lips against hers.

"Whatever you do, play it safe," he said.  
"I always do," she said.  
"I know. It's just that I can't lose you again," he said.  
"You won't," she said.  
"Leave him," he looked at her. "Please."  
"It's not that simple," she said.  
"We'll help you. Me and Dean. And Seth too. You know we're all here for you. Just say the word," he said.  
"I really need to go," she said.

She turned around and jogged out of there. She didn't call an uber to get back home. She decided to walk instead. She needed the air, and she needed to think. One Asian, one Irish, two Americans. It sounded an awful lot like AJ's friends Shinsuke, Finn, Luke and Karl. Four stupid people that for some weird reason looked up to AJ and did whatever he asked of them. They would never go out and beat someone up on their own, but if AJ asked them to, they would do it in a heartbeat. She finally made it home and walked inside. She found AJ on the couch in front of his playstation as usual.

"How is Seth?" He smirked.  
"Good all things considering. No permanent damage was done and he's getting home today," she said.  
"What a shame," he said.

She fiddled with her sleeve and took a step closer.

"Did you by any chance make your friends beat him up?" She asked.  
"I sure did," he grinned proudly.  
"Why?" She asked. "Seth's done nothing to you."  
"He's done nothing to me?" He yelled.

He jumped up from the couch and was in front of her fast.

"He fucked you!" He yelled.  
"He hasn't touched me," she said.  
"I saw you. You were hanging on his back like some fucking monkey. I know you fucked him the night before," he said.  
"I didn't," she said.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her into the bedroom. He threw her on the bed and jumped up on her. He pinned her wrists down with one hand while the other went down into her sweatpants. He forced three fingers inside her, knowing how much it would hurt when she was dry. He leaned down to her ear while he kept moving his fingers.

"He got to fuck this sweet, little pussy. Were you wet for him?" He asked.  
"Please," she cried.  
"I bet you were. I bet you soaked his fucking sheets like a bitch in heat. I bet you moaned and begged for more like the fucking slut you are," he said. "Moan! Moan for me, you fucking cum dumpster!"  
"AJ, please," she said.  
"That's it, keep saying my name, you worthless piece of trash!" He growled. "This pussy belongs to me and me alone! You got that, you little slut? You are mine!"

* * *

Seth let out a low sound of pain as he sat up on his couch. He had been lying down for a few hours after coming home. Roman and Dean had stayed with him. Dean had ordered Chinese. It had just arrived, and Seth forced himself up to sit.

"You're so cute when you cry," Dean chuckled.  
"Shut up!" Seth hissed. "At least I got the week off of work. You need to come in tomorrow. I win."  
"If that's your idea of winning, I'm happy with losing," Dean said.

Dean passed out the food, sat down and looked over at Roman.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked.  
"Not really," Roman sighed. "Elena... She... I think she's in trouble."  
"You think?" Dean rolled his eyes. "I know she's in trouble. I know AJ beats her but I can't force her to leave him."  
"That's not all he does," Roman said.

Dean placed the box of food down on the table.

"What else does he do?" Dean asked.  
"She doesn't want you to know," Roman said.  
"What else does he fucking do, Roman?" Dean yelled. "You better fucking tell me right now or you'll end up looking like Seth!"

* * *

Elena put the pasta dish on the kitchen table while AJ sat there waiting. The front door flew open. They both looked at each other before turning to the kitchen door when Dean and Roman came barging in. Dean walked over to Elena, grabbed her arm and pushed her towards the door.

"Go pack," Dean said.  
"What's going on?" Elena asked.  
"I said, go pack!" Dean barked. "Pack your belongings right now. You're coming home with me."

AJ stood up angrily.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" AJ asked. "You can't just barge into my home and..."

He stopped when he found himself nose to nose with Dean. Dean had moved so fast that AJ hadn't had a chance of backing away.

"You like raping women, Styles?" Dean growled. "You like raping my sister, you asshole? Beating her wasn't enough for you? You piece of shit!"  
"You told him?" Elena looked at Roman.  
"I had to," Roman said.  
"I said, go pack!" Dean shouted. "Now, Elena!"  
"Come on," Roman gently grabbed her arm.

He followed her to the bedroom and helped her pack her things. Clothes, shoes, perfumes, hairbrush, jewelry and her laptop. He didn't wanna go hunt for her toothbrush. That could easily be fixed by stopping at the nearest supermarket. Right now it was all about getting her out of there. As soon as they got everything packed, Roman walked back to the kitchen. Dean was still standing close to AJ, keeping the man from walking freely around his own home.

"We're ready," Roman said.  
"She'll be back," AJ said.

Dean grabbed AJ's shirt and pushed him up against the nearest wall.

"If you ever come near her again!" Dean threatened. "I'll make what your buddies did to Seth look like a walk in the park. I'm not just gonna hurt you. I'm gonna fucking maim you. I'll cut off your fingers one by one and stuff them down your throat until you choke on them."  
"Come on, Dean," Roman grabbed Dean's shoulder. "Let's get her out of here."

Elena, Dean and Roman entered Dean's house around 15 minutes later.

"Take the bedroom," Dean said.  
"Huh?" Roman asked.  
"You already banged her in my garden. Might as well bang her in my bed," Dean tried with a smile. "Just fucking stay the night with her, Roman. I'll take the couch."

Roman didn't argue with that. Instead he found himself in Dean's bed with Elena in his arms ten minutes later. He wasn't gonna try anything the first night. It was all about having her feel safe again.

"Were you happy?" She asked.  
"Happy with what?" He asked.  
"This last year," she said. "Were you happy?"  
"That's a tricky question," he stroked her cheek. "I liked the job and the people I worked with, but you weren't there and I couldn't stop thinking about you. I don't think I can ever be truly happy without you. When this job opened, I made up my mind. If they didn't give it to me, I would quit and still move back. I couldn't go another day without you."

She gave him a soft kiss. He moved his arm down her back to pull her closer.

"I wasn't happy," she said.  
"I kinda get that," he said.  
"Even before AJ," she said. "I wasn't happy without you either."


	5. Making a deal

Roman stopped the car and looked at Elena. He gently grabbed her chin and leaned towards her.

"Come here, baby girl," he said.

The met in the middle to give each other a goodbye kiss. She felt incredibly happy this morning. For a week she had slept in Dean's bed with Roman until this last night. She had finally gone home with him and spent a night in his house. He pecked her lips one final time and pulled back.

"I'll see you tonight," he said.  
"I'm gonna cook for you tonight," she said. "No more takeaway."  
"Uh, homemade food," he grinned. "I can't wait."

She left his car and watched him drive off to get to work. He had driven her downtown and stopped in front of a coffee shop as requested. She walked inside and got a licorice latte before heading towards the supermarket. She was gonna buy groceries for the promised homecooked meal.

She took her time at the supermarket, buying everything she needed to make turkey chili. She knew it didn't really matter what she ended up cooking. He would love it no matter what. But she wanted to spoil him. She bought the groceries and walked outside with the bag in her arms. Her smile dropped when she saw AJ leaning up against his car.

"Hi, Elena," he said.  
"There's cameras here," she said.  
"I'm not doing anything wrong," he held up his hands. "I'm just standing here."  
"What do you want?" She asked.

He chuckled and lowered his hands again.

"I want you to come home," he said.  
"Not gonna happen," she said.  
"Oh, I think it will," he smirked. "I gunned for the wrong man. You aren't fucking Seth. You're fucking Roman."  
"Leave me alone!" She hissed.

She started walking again.

"Don't you wonder how I found Seth?" He asked.

She stopped and turned around to look at him.

"Dean's facebook," he said. "I found out they work together. I drove there and followed Seth home."  
"You're sick," she said.  
"Maybe," he smirked. "But I found Roman the same way. I found out where he works. I've been following him all week but he kept driving to Dean's house. Until last night. He picked you up and went to his house. Now all I have to do is tell the guys and wait for Roman to be alone. And I'll make damn sure this time that he won't be able to ever walk again."  
"Don't you dare!" She snarled.  
"Who's gonna stop me? You?" He snorted in laughter. "I think not."

She looked around nervously but no one was close to see that anything was wrong. It looked like two people having a normal conversation.

"What do you want?" She asked.  
"Isn't that obvious? I want you to come home," he said. "You got 24 hours to pack your shit and get your ass out of Dean's house. And if I catch you anywhere near Roman again, you're gonna be very sorry."

He got into his car and drove away. She went into working like a robot like she had done many times before. Her body took over while her mind shut down. She walked home and put the groceries in the fridge. Dean was still at work so he wouldn't catch on to anything being wrong. She went to take a shower. Once out there with the water running down her body, she finally broke down.

* * *

Roman whistled as he walked up Dean's driveway. This last week had been heaven on earth. He knocked on the front door and opened it at the same time.

"Elena? Dean?" He called.  
"In the kitchen!" Dean called back.

Roman walked out in the kitchen and found Dean in the process of making homemade garlic bread.

"It's just me," Dean said.  
"Where is she?" Roman asked.  
"She went out. She left a note saying not to worry," Dean nodded. "On the table."

Roman picked up the note and read it. It didn't say anything else than what Dean had just said.

"She knew I was coming to pick her up," Roman said. "She promised me a homemade meal tonight."  
"That explains the groceries in the fridge," Dean said. "I'm sure she'll be home soon. She probably remembered she needed something for whatever she's cooking. Grab a beer or soda, and sit down and wait."  
"Don't mind if I do," Roman said.

He grabbed a soda from the fridge and sat down.

"Garlic bread again?" Roman asked.  
"One day I'll find the perfect recipe," Dean grinned. "Don't mock me. It's a serious project, and I like garlic bread."  
"I wasn't gonna say anything," Roman chuckled.

He stayed in Dean's kitchen for a long time. He finished his soda before trying to call Elena. She didn't pick up. He wasn't worried though. She might have it on mute. He opened a second soda and kept talking with Dean. It wasn't until he realized two hours had passed that he started to get worried. Dean was worried too.

"Maybe she met someone she knows," Dean tried.  
"Like who?" Roman asked.  
"I don't know," Dean shrugged. "Try calling her again."

* * *

Elena had been at the mini golf place for hours. She sat on the same bench as her and Roman had been sitting on that Sunday. She had some french fries for dinner. Her phone was on mute but lying on the bench next to her. She saw every call coming through but she didn't pick up. She sat there thinking into the early evening hours before sending Roman a text.

_"I'm sorry. I can't be with you."_

Of course he tried calling again. She put the phone in the back pocket of her jeans and started walking. She didn't want Roman or anyone else to be hurt because of her. She walked to AJ's house and rang the door bell. AJ opened shortly after with a knowing smile on his face.

"Good girl. Come inside," he said.

She kept standing there. She had to make a deal with him before she walked through that door.

"You don't touch any of them. Dean, Roman, Seth or anyone else I know. You don't talk to them or send anyone out to beat them up. Promise me that and I'll come back," she said.  
"I promise," he said. "As long as you're mine and do as I say, I won't even look in their direction," he said.  
"Okay," she said.

She took a deep breath and walked inside. The door closing behind her was one of the worst sounds she had ever heard. She felt like being inside a prison cell.

"Where's your stuff?" He asked.  
"I'll pick it up tomorrow," she said.  
"Nah, don't. You're gonna spend the first week naked in bed anyway just to make up for the week I've been without you," he pushed her. "March! Go to the bedroom!"


	6. I'm not going anywhere

Roman and Dean had tried calling her for hours without any luck. It was closing in on 10 PM. None of them wanted to say it but eventually one of them had to. Dean was the one opening his mouth to get it out there.

"She's probably with AJ," Dean said.  
"No, she wouldn't," Roman looked lost. "Would she?"  
"I don't know," Dean scratched his head. "She hasn't talked about him all week but do we actually know if she's been in contact with him?"  
"I'm going over there," Roman said.

He was halfway out of the room before finishing the sentence.

"Not without me," Dean said.

Roman smiled at his best friend. Dean smiled back. No words were needed in that moment. They were in it together.

* * *

"Jesus fucking Christ! What now?" AJ growled.

Someone was pounding on his front door. He was sitting on the bed. He looked down at Elena who was sitting naked on her knees on the floor in front of him. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Did I tell you to fucking stop?" He barked.

She lowered her head fast to take his dick back in her mouth. He grabbed her hair, yanked her head up and pushed her away.

"Just fucking stop," he said. "Whoever it is, they're not going away apparently."

He stood up and put on his boxers. He knew just as well as her who he might find on the other side of the door. He just didn't care. They had made a deal. She wouldn't go back home with Dean this time.

"Stay!" He ordered.

He walked out to open the front door. To no surprise he found Dean and Roman there. They pushed him back and walked right into his house.

"You're trespassing," AJ said. "Get out or I'll call the cops."  
"Shut up!" Dean snarled. "Elena?"

She grabbed AJ's discarded t-shirt from the floor and put it on. It was long enough to cover her as long as she didn't bend over. She didn't have time to search for her panties, and she knew it would be way worse for her if she put them on. His t-shirt wouldn't do as much damage as her own clothes.

"Elena?" Dean called again.  
"Elena?" Roman called too. "We know you're here."

Her heart broke at the sound of Roman's voice. She never wanted to hurt him. That was why she had gone back to AJ. Something that Roman would never be able to understand. She walked out of the bedroom and found all three men staring at her.

"Get back in there!" AJ demanded.  
"Shut the fuck up!" Roman shouted.

Roman strode towards her and grabbed her face. That beautiful face full of tears and a few new bruises. He looked down her body and saw other marks.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" Roman snarled.  
"Nothing she didn't deserve," AJ said.

Dean grabbed AJ's arms and forced him up against the wall.

"I warned you, Styles!" Dean growled.  
"And I warned her," AJ chuckled. "Go ahead, Dean. Hurt me. She knows what's coming next if you do."  
"Let him go," Elena said.  
"What?" Dean looked at her. "You don't mean that."  
"You need to leave. Both of you," Elena said.

Roman reached for her but she stepped back.

"Get out," she said. "I already told you I can't be with you. You need to leave."  
"You don't mean that. Whatever you think he has on either of us, we'll work our way through it," Roman said.  
"You don't understand," Elena said.  
"Damn right I don't," Roman said. "And I don't think you do either. Why the fuck did you go back here without talking to me first?"

She gritted her teeth and numbed herself.

"Get out!" She said firmly.  
"Elena," Dean stepped away from AJ and walked over to her. "What the hell, sis? What's going on? Just come home with me and we'll talk about it."  
"Get out!" Elena yelled. "Before he hurts any of you!"  
"Hurt us?" Dean asked.  
"That's it. I'm calling the police," AJ said.

Roman and Dean turned around to see AJ had his phone in his hand.

"Get out!" Elena started pushing both men. "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

They moved towards the front door out of surprise. She kept screaming and pushing until they were outside.

"Elena, please," Roman tried.

She slammed the door in his face and locked it. She turned around and looked at AJ. He looked anything but happy. He had a murderous look in his eyes that she had never seen before. She had seen him angry many times but never anything like this. That look was new and much more scary than anything before.

"You brought them here," he said.  
"I didn't," she defended herself. "And I got them out. They're leaving."

He started walking towards her slowly. He threw his phone into the mirror on the wall. The mirror broke into a few pieces. He continued walking slowly as if it was perfectly normal to break things like that.

"You brought them into my home!" He snarled. "Into my fucking home! You knew what would happen! I fucking warned you, slut!"  
"Please, don't hurt them," she said.  
"Hurt them?" He laughed menacingly. "I'm not gonna hurt them. I'm gonna hurt you. So get into the bedroom. Get down on your knees and stay the fuck down. I might let you live if you do everything I say. I haven't decided yet."

In that moment she had no doubt he actually might kill her. She spun around and reached for the lock on the door. She needed to get out before it was too late. He pushed her hard in the back, and her head slammed up against the door. He grabbed the t-shirt and started pulling her with him.

"I said!" He growled. "Get into the fucking bedroom!"

She wiggled her way out of the t-shirt and started running. She didn't have time to try the front door again. Her only option was to try and run through the rooms to get to the bathroom where she could lock the door and get out of the window. She ran into the living room with AJ hot on her tail.

"Elena!" Roman pounded on the window. "Let me in, Elena! Fucking let me in!"

She saw the faces of both Roman and Dean looking through the window. For a second she felt embarrassed that her brother saw her naked. The thought quickly disappeared when AJ tripped her. She fell hard on the floor. He was on top of her fast.

"Let her go, motherfucker!" Dean screamed.

AJ smirked at the two men in the window before looking back at her.

"I warned you," he said again.  
"Don't hurt them," she pleaded.  
"Too much work chasing them down. They'll hurt soon enough," he said.

He wrapped his hands around her throat and started squeezing. She started clawing at his hands, kicking out in the air, struggling to breathe, trying anything she could to fight her way out of it. He kept sitting there with that smirk on his face, watching her as he tried to kill her.

The pounding on the window stopped. Her mind was going crazy. She thought Roman and Dean had actually left her there to die. She felt oddly betrayed for a second, and then she heard the sound of wood splintering. They were kicking in the front door.

She heard Roman roar. A flash of black seemed to fly through the air. AJ was knocked off her. She coughed and rolled around on her side to see Roman on top of AJ, letting his fists rain down on the smaller man. Dean came flying a second later, dropping down next to Roman and beating up AJ too.

"I warned you!" Dean screamed. "I fucking warned you, Styles!"  
"Dean!" She coughed. "Roman! Stop!"

She crawled over the floor and reached for the nearest man. She grabbed the ankle of Dean. He stopped and looked at her. Tears suddenly flowed out of his eyes like a waterfall.

"Oh god! Elena!" He wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay. I got you. Roman! Stop!"

Roman stopped too and looked at the siblings. He jumped off AJ and wrapped his arms around both of them. Elena sat in between them, feelings how four arms hugged her from both sides.

"Call the cops," Roman said.  
"No, you..." Elena started.  
"Self defence," Dean said. "We both witnessed him trying to kill you. And you're gonna tell them everything you've been through while living with him. You're gonna put him away."  
"I..." Elena started.  
"No excuses!" Dean stared at her. "You're gonna put him away."  
"I got proof on my laptop. I took pictures everytime," Elena said.  
"Thank god," Roman held her tighter.  
"I don't want anyone to see it," she cried.  
"Hey!" Dean grabbed her face. "You're gonna show everything to the cops. You've kept quiet long enough. Stop protecting the asshole. You need to do this to set yourself free. I'm with you all the way, and so is Roman. You're not alone, sis."

* * *

Everything was quiet in Roman's house. It was in the middle of the night before they had finally been allowed to go home. The police needed all their statements and the proof on Elena's computer. There was gonna be a trial later down the line, but the cops had more or less already promised her that AJ would go away. Seth was brought in too since Elena could deliver the names of the people who had attacked him. He was shown pictures and pointed out all four men.

She had gone home with Roman after that. He was gonna call in sick next day to spend the day with her. They both needed that. She could write whenever and wherever she wanted so that wasn't a problem. He turned off the light in the bedroom and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Are you okay?" She asked.  
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" He asked.  
"Does it matter?" She asked.

He took a deep breath and turned his head to look at her.

"I thought I had lost you back there. It seemed like hours when I was kicking in the door. It didn't break easily like in movies. I had to kick several times, and for each kick I knew time was running out," he said. "I was so scared you'd be gone when I finally made it through."

He crawled up the bed and leaned over her. He studied her face through the darkness. She reached a hand up and touched his cheek.

"I'm here. I'm alive. I'm okay," she said.

He turned his head and placed a kiss in the palm of her hand.

"I love you," he mumbled.  
"I love you too," she said.  
"Don't ever fucking leave me like that again," he said.  
"I won't. I promise. I'll even move in here if it makes you feel better," she said.

He couldn't help but chuckle at that. He leaned down and kissed her.

"Was that your way of asking me to move in together?" He asked.  
"Only if the answer is yes," she said.  
"We'll pick up your things tomorrow," he said.

He laid down and pulled her into his arms. She cuddled up against him while he stroked his fingers through her hair.

"It'll take some time," she said.  
"I know but I'm not going anywhere. Whenever you're ready to tell me what hell he put you through, I'm ready to listen," he said.  
"Thank you," she placed a kiss on his chest. "And I will tell you. Soon. I promise. I just need some time to wrap my head around everything."  
"I'm not going anywhere, baby girl," he kissed the top of her head. "Not ever again."


End file.
